Valley Junction: Iowa Time Machine October 9, 1893

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 9, 1893, Valley Junction was incorporated. Today, downtown West Des Moines' heart, Valley Junction, grew around the switching facilities and repair shops at the meeting point of three lines on the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad.

Held by the Sauk and Meskwaki during the era immediately preceding American settlement, the land was opened to eager easterners by James Cunningham Jordan, a cattle farmer, in October of 1845. Jordan’s residence eventually served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and the famed abolitionist John Brown stayed there several times; the site is now held by the West Des Moines Historical Society.

An important trading and shipping location on the Raccoon River and a key hub for routes west out of Des Moines, Valley Junction grew as railroads stretched across Iowa. When three lines of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific formed a junction featuring facilities to service trains, the small settlement started to grow, leading to the town's incorporation in 1893.

Growth stagnated during the early 1900s as rail traffic declined, prompting local citizens to devise a new strategy to attract interest in the small town. On January 1, 1938, Valley Junction officially became part of West Des Moines, Iowa. Although the incorporated town faded into the past, Valley Junction still represents the downtown of modern-day West Des Moines. #Iowa #OTD #History #Towns #Mapping